Maria Alphaizuli

Maria Alphaizuli
BornShilb (modern Silves, Portugal)
OccupationPoet, Tutor
LanguageArabic
NationalityAndalusian

Mariam bint Abu Ya'qub Ashshilbi (Arabic: مريم بنت أبي يعقوب الشَّلْبي) was an 8th-century Arabic-language poet of al-Andalus. She was born in Shilb (modern Silves, Portugal) and settled in Seville, where she became a tutor of noblewomen.[1][2]

Living during the time of the Moors, she has been referred to as the Arabian Sappho. During her time, many women of the Andalusian area cultivated the arts.[3] Some well-preserved examples of her work survive in the library of the Escorial.[3]

  1. ^ al-Udhari, Abdullah (2017-01-16). Classical Poems by Arab Women: A Bilingual Anthology. Saqi Books. p. 158. ISBN 9780863569302.
  2. ^ Qazi Athar Mubarakpuri, Khawateen-e-Islam Ki Deeni wa Ilmi Khidmat (Urdu) p. 71, Shaykhul Hind Academy, Darul Uloom Deoband
  3. ^ a b Hale, Sarah Josepha Buell (1855). Woman's record, or, Sketches of all distinguished women : from the creation to A.D. 1854 : arranged in four eras : with selections from female writers of every age. New York: Harper & Bros. p. 70. hdl:2027/nyp.33433067276471.